Romain Grosjean in testing for Lotus Renault GP in Valencia

If there is one man who carries all the hopes of French motorsport to see a driver from France back in F1, it is Romain Grosjean. After a 2009 season during which he replaced Nelson Piquet Jr at the Valencia Grand Prix and for the remainder of an already compromised season both by the intrinsic quality of the car, the very underperforming R29, and by the revelation of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix scandal, the Geneva native did not have an easy task and paid the price for being thrown into the deep end without being prepared.

This was followed by a rather difficult 2010 season during which the Franco-Swiss had to alternate between FIA GT and Auto GP – which he won – but also occasional participations in the GP2 championship (two podiums in four races) and some testing for Pirelli. Reconnected to the F1 circuit by Eric Boullier at the beginning of 2011, Grosjean became one of the two reserve drivers for Lotus Renault GP, alongside Bruno Senna – currently a main driver replacing Nick Heidfeld – but most importantly, he won the GP2 championship with style, accumulating five victories and ten podiums. A performance that did not go unnoticed and could once again open the doors to the premier category.

The fact remains that, with the GP2 season over, LRGP is working to ensure that Romain Grosjean is in a position to demonstrate his full potential, in anticipation of potential participation in Friday practice sessions, or even a few Grand Prix. The Enstone team has indeed put the Frenchman behind the wheel of an R29, a car he knows quite well, during several test sessions at the Valencia circuit, where he covered more than 600 kilometers on Tuesday and Wednesday.

« We did some qualifying runs this morning and some long stints in the afternoon. We also conducted some pit stop drills. It was great for physical conditioning; I was very happy and loved working a lot with the team. I felt different compared to 2009 because I am more experienced now. This allowed me, during this test, to better understand and utilize certain aspects of the car. I was also able to dive back into the specific technical discussions while working with Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna’s engineers. I loved the car from the moment I jumped in and enjoyed working with the engineers. The weather was beautiful here in Valencia, and everyone appreciated it, Romain Grosjean enthused, for whom these tests hinted at a return to business.

Supported by Total, the Lotus Renault GP driver could find a place in F1 next season: when it comes to suggesting a possible destination, several teams emerge, such as Williams, Team Lotus, or even LRGP if Robert Kubica cannot take the wheel, all equipped by Renault in 2012. Therefore, Grosjean’s arrival could be accompanied by a significant financial windfall, possibly resulting from a potential partnership between the French oil company and the team in question.